[chris]

This file contains a 1967 San Diego County Sheriff's Office research report forwarded to the FBI on Synanon Foundation, Inc., the drug-addiction rehabilitation organization founded by Charles Dederich. The report reviews Synanon's origins in Santa Monica in 1958, its growth into a national communal organization, financing, leadership structure, public supporters, and treatment practices. It records criticism from medical, law-enforcement, and other observers concerning the lack of professional supervision, the harsh group-therapy sessions known as the 'Synanon Game', financial transparency, zoning and regulatory disputes, and the absence of reliable evidence of long-term rehabilitation outcomes. The report also describes Synanon's own claims about drug-free residents and its reliance on donated goods, services, and business ventures.

FBI file number: SD 94-200 | Documents span: 1958-1967 | Released in 1 part
Names in this file: Charles Dederich, Paul Lofty, Marshall S. Chirkes, Victor L. Vogel, Edward K. Dittler, Harris Isbell, Harold Keen, Louis Yablonsky, Donald Cressey, Steve Allen, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee
Subjects: Synanon Foundation, drug addiction treatment, communal rehabilitation, group therapy, financial oversight, San Diego County Sheriff